I've been using cones too and my hair has never felt softer. I'm conflicted as well, but haven't had any issues so far. My scalp also seems to do better with some type of poo regularly (only sulphate free so far).

Yeah, I think a lot of us have bought t he CG philospohy lock, stock and barrel, and we are now finding that maybe it is not all correct, or not all of it is right for us. I can understand not using sulfates; I can understand not using hot styling tools daily; I can understand that curls need more moisture. I am not sure I understand that something I put on my hair, according to some, it stuck like glue, and I have to use the equivalent of turpentine to remove it. That does not make sense to me, as I notice that dimethicone and dimethiconol are often in body lotions and face products as well, and I certainly dont see any harm to my face from using such products.

Well< skin is a little different than hair because skin is constantly shedding and silicones are wonderful for keeping skin moisturized. I don't buy into the idea of silicones completely coating your hair and wreaking havoc. I do believe that not all products work for all people, and I've said before that I've seen women with amazing curls who are not at all CG. I sometimes wonder if it's really more of the technique (avoiding excessive heat and brushing, being gentle with the hair) and awareness (knowing that your hair needs lots of moisture and/or protein) rather than the strict elimination of specific ingredients (sulfates, silicones) that leads to the improved results.

I agree, Corinna. Also: I was out to dinner a couple of months ago, and there was a woman with absolutely gorgeous curls. I asked her who cut her hair, and she later texted me that information. I called the salon, and asked if she cuts curly hair dry, and was told she prefers not to. So, that is another area we can perhaps question. On that one, though, it is pretty clear to me that my hair has done better being cut dry, and I am also saving a ton of money.

Right, I agree that it's probably 90% technique. I learned to leave my conditioner in longer, use a comb not a brush, don't fry my hair with heat, etc. As long as I'm gentle my hair looks good and grows like a weed, so it's clearly working

i don't think all cones are the same. i have long thought that my hair liked the a-cone in the old deva one condition. i would love to find a conditioner with just the a-cone in it. i do low poo once,twice a week, and the a-cone supposedly does not build up.
any recommendations?

i don't think all cones are the same. i have long thought that my hair liked the a-cone in the old deva one condition. i would love to find a conditioner with just the a-cone in it. i do low poo once,twice a week, and the a-cone supposedly does not build up.
any recommendations?

Originally Posted by rbb

I think GFTN's reformulation has only a-cone. I know a lot of John Frieda stuff has a-cone, and I think Infusium 23 has a-cone. You'll have to double check to make sure it's the only cone, but I think it is in a lot of those cases.

Well< skin is a little different than hair because skin is constantly shedding and silicones are wonderful for keeping skin moisturized. I don't buy into the idea of silicones completely coating your hair and wreaking havoc. I do believe that not all products work for all people, and I've said before that I've seen women with amazing curls who are not at all CG. I sometimes wonder if it's really more of the technique (avoiding excessive heat and brushing, being gentle with the hair) and awareness (knowing that your hair needs lots of moisture and/or protein) rather than the strict elimination of specific ingredients (sulfates, silicones) that leads to the improved results.

Originally Posted by Corrina777

Well said. I shampoo every other day with coco betaine & clarify once a week with SLS (gasp!). My hair has not found one HG product. I have a few I rotate in & out, but for me it's almost ALL technique, less heat, & gentle hair care that has made the difference. The only exception is heavy silicones do make my hair pretty much suck. I wanted to like the SCC mousse everyone raves about but I just can't. The dimethicone is too much for me. So are oils. But tigi's amplifier with cymethicone has been good.

fine, thin, normal/(low?) porosity. Mod-CG. Usually I can't co-wash more than 1x a week, & sometimes I have to use T-Gel in rotation due to scalp issues.

I think the "no insoluble cones" rule is more for people who do not poo at all. And I think not pooing at all works more for those who have extremely tight and dry curls.

I co-was on some days, but I typically low-poo 2-3 times a week. I too use a mild SLS poo once in a while to clarify. Usually I do a pre-poo with it, and add oils to the poo itself to help prevent stripping. And it's typically followed up with a PT/DT. So I know if I were to use cones it would not an much of an issue for me. I think as long as you low-poo with a surficant once a week you won't have much issue with build up, if any at all.

I think with a lot of the general market poos and condishes, the shampoo AND the condish have cones - typically more than necessary. Plus there is more SLS than needed, and people are using them daily.

As with most things, moderation may be key, here. As long as the cones are removed once a week or so, and you aren't layering cone upon cone upon cone, there should be no problem.

Moderation and technique - those seem to be the keys!

I've been considering giving the new GFTN a try, and using Infusium 23's LI to sort of "super soak" my curls. We'll see. Maybe I'll experiment and report back!